Former Gettysburg cop gets ARD in illegal recording case

A former Gettysburg Borough police officer charged with illegally recording a conversation will enter a diversionary program that will allow him to avoid jail time.

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Michael Carricato, 28, of Steelton, is charged with intercepting communications, which is a third-degree felony, and official oppression of arrest or search, a second-degree misdemeanor.

He is accused of videotaping Brandi Courtesis, a former borough police officer, without her consent Dec. 5, 2015, reports the Gettysburg Times.

According to the report, Carricato began taping Courtesis while they were talking in the police station. After about six minutes, she asks Carricato if she is being recorded, and Carricato admits to recording her, and continues to do so for about 25 more minutes.

Carricato was accepted into the Adams County Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, which is mainly for non- violent first-time offenders. But a stipulation of the program is that Carricato's record will not be expunged, said Brian Sinnett, Adams County district attorney.

A sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against Carricato in 2017 by the same police officer in the criminal case. The borough reached settlement with her in June 2017, in which she resigned and was to be paid $213,000, said the Gettysburg Times.

Carricato was placed on paid leave in March 2017 and was fired Nov. 13. He had worked in the borough since June 2014.

Sinnett said Carricato will not be barred from working as a police officer in the future, but said he doesn't believe he is interested in working in law enforcement in the future, said the report.